The mystery of a lost space probe that vanished on a mission to Mars has been solved with the help of top scientists from Aberystwyth University.

Images are set to be revealed today of the area where the doomed Beagle 2 craft, which disappeared on the Red Planet on Christmas Day 12 years ago, landed.

The team searching for the probe approached Dr Laurence Tyler and Dr Matt Gunn at the Institute of Mathematics, Physics and Computer Science at Aberystwyth University to provide detailed 3D images of the area where it was believed to have landed.

Using powerful ‘Shape from Shading’ computer software developed by the Space Robotics Group, Dr Tyler was able to provide a terrain map of the area from images taken by the HiRISE camera on NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.

Through the imaging, scientists have been able to determine that the Beagle probably did make it onto Mars and landed safely. Mystery had surrounded whether the touchdown was successful since the contact was lost with the craft in 2003.

Dr Tyler said the news “brought a lump to his throat”.

He added he was sad that fellow Aberystwyth academic Professor Dave Barnes, who played a major role in developing the Beagle’s robotic arm but died last year, was not here to witness today’s images.

Dr Tyler said: “He would have been absolutely thrilled that Beagle 2 landed safely and didn’t just burn up in the atmosphere.”

“The team searching for Beagle 2 were interested in knowing what the slopes of the terrain were like in that region of Mars. We were able to show them that the area where the lander was supposed to have landed was very flat.”

How the Beagle 2 would have looked leaving the Mars Express craft

David Rothery, professor of planetary geosciences at the Open University, said he believed pictures will be published today proving that the spacecraft’s lander successfully touched down on the Red Planet in 2003 but that a malfunction prevented it from beaming information back to Earth.

The UK Space Agency says it will provide an “update” on the ill-fated craft, which vanished while attempting a Christmas Day landing on the planet, but would not discuss in advance what will be revealed.

Prof Rothery said he expected the pictures, which he has not yet seen, will show the probe “partially deployed” after landing successfully. The lander resembled a giant pocket watch that folded out to deploy its instruments and solar panels.

He said: “What I think we are going to have revealed tomorrow is pictures showing Beagle 2 on the ground, what is thought to be Beagle 2 on the ground.

“It looks like they (the panels) didn’t all open.”

He added: “I regard it as being more successful than we perhaps though 12 years ago when we lost it.

“It would be nice to know if it landed close to where we think it did.”

Named in honour of Charles Darwin’s famous ship, Beagle 2 was a unique space mission in that it was largely funded by private donations and money raised by promotional campaigns led by the late Professor Pillinger.